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YES, YES, we did say that enough was enough, and the last time we were
tempted back to the topic at least one reader wrote in to protest. But many
others continue to be fascinated by nominative determinism, the tendency of
people to gravitate towards works that fit their surname.

Even as august a publication as The Wall Street Journal recently ran
an article on the phenomenon. It featured interviews with people like Cramer J.
Stiff, an undertaker from York, Pennsylvania, R. Bruce Money, former banker and
now professor of business studies at the University of South Carolina, and John
M. Hamburger, a restaurateur in Roserville, Minnesota. All strenuously denied
that their names had anything to do with their choice of career—although
two psychologists who were interviewed believed the opposite.

Whatever the truth of the matter, examples of the tendency keep flooding into
New Scientist’s offices. Here are some of the latest sent in by
readers.

Members of the teaching profession figure prominently. Cookery teacher Mrs
Ovens and art teacher Mrs Brushett are fondly remembered by a former pupil at a
Kent school, while a reader in Australia recalls Neil Arrowsmith, who came to
his school to take archery classes. The religious studies department at King’s
School in Chester has just two teachers—Mr Priory and Mr Christian White.
God works in mysterious ways.

The medical profession also provides a rich hunting ground for people
researching the phenomenon. More than 600 patients seeking penis extensions in
Wuhan, China, have been treated by professor of plastic surgery Dr Long. More
worrying is a fellow surgeon who visited Dr Long to assist with the
procedures—Dr Stubbs.

Meanwhile, in Oceola County, Florida, the medical examiner is Dr Gore, and in
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, a local plastic surgeon is Barry Corps.

Casting the net wider, an undertaking business in Hull, Humberside, was
founded by R. Boddy. A development scientist for Evans, the flu vaccine
manufacturer, is A. Chew, who really ought to team up with John Coffin, doctor
of medicine at Tufts University.

In New Zealand, a security services company was set up by James Covert, a
former US secret service agent responsible for electronic protection in the
White House. And who is the drug prevention officer for the police in
Flintshire, Wales? He’s Dave Speed, of course.

Also from New Zealand, a reader who has worked as a rural water supply
engineer in the Solomon Islands writes to us signing himself Alan Freshwater.
And reader Steve Ringwood tells us he has been sent a new book to review on
Victorian Telescope Makers. Author of the book? None other than I. Glass.
It was also reviewed by New Scientist as well on 2 August (p 43). A
week later, the magazine went one better, with a deep-sea biologist named
Charles Fisher mentioned in This Week (p 19) and John Butters reporting on the
dangers of sandwiches in packed lunches (Forum, p 47). The tradition was
maintained on 25 October, when This Week (p 5) included “Orgies alter the
brain”, featuring research on copulating rats by Marc Breedlove.

Meanwhile, reappointed to the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council
earlier this year was Sue Ion. Is she any relation, we wonder, of the Romanian
author of a paper in the Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry called
Ion Ion.

Another paper received with interest last year was “Detection of
Chlamydia trachomatis in male urine specimens and female
endocervical and urine specimens” by K. A. Crotchfelt et al. Then there
was the article about the “face” on Mars coauthored by Horace Crater of the
University of Tennessee Space Institute, and the study on “Methods for
collection and analysis of water samples” by F. H. Rainwater and L. L. Thatcher.
And a 1997 update from CSIRO, the Australian research organisation, reports on
progress on preserving timber marine piles by John Barnacle.

The chief environmental advisor for Elf Exploration UK, currently searching
oil and gas fields in Wales, is Mr D. Borwell. Similarly, there is a piece about
the latest engine oils in the July issue of Chemistry in Britain by
Exxon lubricant researcher Roger Glyde. Meanwhile, in the Manawatu Gorge in New
Zealand, work to stabilise the rock face above the road through the gorge is
being supervised by engineer Graeme Quickfall, while over in Adelaide,
Australia, the Yellow Pages lists a veterinary surgeon called Anthony
Woof.

Chris Bull works for the Milk Marketing Board as an artificial insemination
technician. Dr Stone is professor of geology at Exeter University, while Dr Pond
is professor of oceanography at the University of British Columbia,
Vancouver.

Many thanks to the readers who have sent in these and countless other
offerings. To finish, let us note that in Saudi Arabia the finance minister is
Sheik Yamani.

MEANWHILE, to continue with another of our regular themes: last week we
reported on some of the daft warnings that Sainsbury puts out with its products.
Now we learm that Marks and Spencer has also fallen victim to the tendency. The
package of an M&S bread and butter pudding solemnly tells us: “Take care:
product will be hot after heating.”

FINALLY, many thanks for your hundreds of entries to the Feedback Christmas
Competition. We’re having great fun judging them, and will publish the results
in the Christmas issue next week.